ALL THAT SHINES

“What Money Can Do / Make you feel invincible. // What No Money Can Do / Make you feel invisible.”

As the daughter of one of Lexington, Kentucky’s wealthy families, Chloe Brooks leads a privileged life. As she readies for a summer including a trip to Europe and music camp in Los Angeles, she parties the night away alongside her boyfriend and best friend at an event celebrating her father’s success. The next morning, Chloe’s life is upended as she watches her father’s arrest on fraud charges. She and her mother retreat to Limestone Apartments, a complex on the racially integrated working-class side of town where Chloe’s mother grew up. Long neglected and in disrepair, the complex is their only asset that the state can’t seize since it’s in her mom’s name alone. Chloe’s culture shock is soothed by the camaraderie of the complex’s teen residents, especially the charming optimist Clint Jackson, who shows Chloe that kindness and love don’t cost a thing. Highlighting Chloe’s insecurity, shame, and increasing self-awareness, the book elicits readers’ empathy as she struggles, learns, and develops a newfound sense of self. However, the story sometimes glosses over the harsh realities of poverty and racism, risking making the Limestone community feel like props for Chloe’s growth. The mother-daughter relationship shines brightest, while Clint’s buoyant attitude keeps the tone afloat. Primary characters are cued white; secondary characters are identified as Black, Latine, and queer.

A bitter start leads to a sweet conclusion.